For years, the first base position has been one of the easiest to draft in fantasy baseball.
Power was everywhere to be had, and even if you missed out on some of the top 40-homer bats, you knew there was still plenty of power to be had in the later rounds.
Nevertheless, over the past few seasons, the position has become top-heavy, which puts the onus on you to act quickly if you want to acquire one of the elite bats. If you miss out, you could be struggling as you sift through the bargain bin.
It’s no secret as to who the top first basemen are entering the 2025 season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson and Pete Alonso should be your targets.
Recent fantasy ADP has them all coming off the board within the first three rounds of a 12-team draft, so plan accordingly.
You don’t need to bump them up to the first 10 picks overall, but you should definitely be mindful in that second or third round, depending on who is available.
Should you miss out on one of the top five, do not panic and reach for the next tier of first basemen, which is a common mistake.
Players such as Josh Naylor and Christian Walker are solid additions to the roster, but not at the expense of better players available at other positions — especially when you can wait another two or three rounds for an up-and-comer like Triston Casas or Vinnie Pasquantino.
Both are just as capable and are each falling outside the top 100 picks of most drafts.
Should that tier of first basemen elude you, then take a breather for a while and build up your roster everywhere else.
Reaching for an aging veteran such as Paul Goldschmidt or an inconsistent Michael Toglia won’t give you any sort of an advantage, as their level of production will likely be similar to the number of also-rans like Ryan Mountcastle or Nathaniel Lowe, both of whom can be had 40-50 picks later.
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Should you find yourself without a first baseman in the latter half of your draft, you want to turn to some potential and upside.
We don’t need to bother with guys like Rhys Hoskins when there is plenty of upside coming from lesser-known players like Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda or Miami’s Jonah Bride.
Aranda flashed a .195 ISO mark last season and could reach the 20-homer barrier as the Rays’ full-time DH. Bride could as well, working between first and DH for the Marlins.
Both are in their prime years and neither will cost you a pick higher than the 23rd round.
First base is very cut and dry for fantasy managers this season, so be sure to understand: You’re either all-in or you’re bargain-hunting. Anything in between will leave you disappointed, so do yourself a favor and act fast.
Your championship run will be so much easier with an elite bat in your arsenal.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice.
